(A)
Every designated
agency, other registration agency, and deputy registrar of motor vehicles shall
accept completed voter registration application forms, regardless of whether a
form was distributed by the designated agency, other registration agency, or
deputy registrar of motor vehicles. Original voter registration application
forms shall be transmitted to the board of elections for the county in which
the agency or deputy registrar is located. Each designated agency and the
appropriate board of elections shall establish a method by which voter
registration application forms are transmitted to that board of elections
within five business days after being accepted by the agency.

(B)
The secretary of
state shall supply to the designated agencies, other registration agencies, and
deputy registrars of motor vehicles, instructions for the electronic
transmission of voter registration applications to the secretary of state, who
shall require each designated agency, other registration agency or deputy
registrar of motor vehicles when transmitting voter registration applications
electronically to the secretary of state to transmit an identifier for data
relating to each new voter registration application form that shall be used by
boards of elections to match the electronic data to the original voter
registration application form and shall require for updated registrations a
statement of verification by the agency or deputy registrar as required in
paragraph (D) of this rule.

(C)
The designated
agency, other registration agency, or deputy registrar of motor vehicles may
place the identifier to be used to match the electronic data with the original
voter registration application forms in the upper left corner of the original
voter registration application form, but in no instance shall the identifier
indicate the identity of the agency transmitting the form, or mask in any way
the information supplied by the elector on the original voter registration
application form.

(D)
Any designated agency, other registration agency, or
deputy registrar of motor vehicles that receives a voter registration
application shall, upon and in accordance with instructions from the secretary
of state, electronically transmit the application to the secretary of state
within two business days after being accepted. In the case of an application to
update an elector's name or residence, "receipt of a voter registration
application" may consist of the entry or creation of electronic data in a
format approved by the secretary of state. In such case, the agency or deputy
registrar shall include with the record a statement that the elector's identity
was verified at the time of the entry or creation of the elector's updated
electronic data. Voter registration applications shall be transmitted to the
secretary of state by one of the following methods:

(1)
Extensible
markup language format (XML) according to XML specifications and according to
instructions provided by the secretary of state;

(2)
Portable
document format (PDF) and electronic mail according to instructions that may be
provided by the secretary of state; or

(3)
Facsimile
according to instructions that may be provided by the secretary of state.

(E)
Voter registration applications shall be transmitted
according to instructions from the secretary of state by the highest degree of
electronic capacity possessed by the designated agency, other registration
agency, or deputy registrar of motor vehicles, with XML format being the
highest degree and facsimile being the lowest degree of electronic
capacity.

(F)
In the event that the designated agency, other
registration agency or deputy registrar of motor vehicles is able to transmit
voter registration applications only by facsimile, the lowest degree of
electronic capacity, the secretary of state may instruct the agency or deputy
registrar to make its electronic transmissions directly to the appropriate
boards of elections, and the boards of elections shall accept the same in such
electronic format and compare them with the voter registration application
forms received from designated agencies, other registration agencies and deputy
registrars of motor vehicles.